


Got It On Tape

by thesalukihusker



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Love, Mixtape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-11-02 04:23:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20620508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesalukihusker/pseuds/thesalukihusker
Summary: Jonathan makes a mixtape for Nancy.





	Got It On Tape

**Author's Note:**

> Jonathan makes his first mixtape for Nancy. He takes family photos. It's happy and fluffy and silly. Takes place around the end of 2x09. There are a bunch of songs in this one and I'll list them at the end. I don't own the music, obviously. I also don't own Jancy, I just ship them.

"What happened in here?"

Joyce comes home to records scattered in the living room. Some are on the living room table, a few on the couch. One or two are... missing?

She knocks on Jonathan's bedroom door, and when he opens it, there are even more records. The missing ones from the living room, and a couple of his own. In another stack are a couple of albums she's never seen before. He rushes to the stereo, stopping the tape. 

"Sorry for the mess in the living room," Jonathan says. "I'm working on a new mixtape and I needed to borrow some records."

Joyce laughs as she walks out of his room. "Oh no, Jonathan's not in love," she says, smiling at her older son. He's blushing. "Not at all. Nothing to see here."

She hears Jonathan mumble "maybe just a little" as she leaves the room.

###

It's been a month since their trip to Sesser. Jonathan wants to pinch himself most days to make sure it's real. He's Nancy Wheeler's  _ boyfriend _ . They've been inseparable.

_ Is it weird that she's mine, but now I want to woo her?  _ _ Maybe I should've done that last year. I should've made a mixtape for her when we got back from Murray's _ .  _ Too many things happening then.  _ He hopes Nancy is as crazy about him as he is about her. 

He tears a piece of paper out of his notebook, writes a note, and puts it in Nancy's locker with the tape inside. 

###

Nancy rushes home after school, goes directly to her room. She found the tape just before lunch, along with Jonathan's note.

_ The first mixtape of many. xo _

She's intrigued. The tape in her hand has no track listing. On the label, it says  _ for my favorite monster hunting partner. December 1984.  _ She opens the case, and there's a note on the inside where the track listing would be.  _ I might have fallen in love. Just a little. _

Nancy blushes, thinking about all the things they finally admitted to each other that night at Murray's. She puts the tape in her stereo, expecting to hear Joy Division, or the Talking Heads, or The Clash. It's a happy surprise when Nancy hears Debbie Harry's familiar voice.  _ Call Me. _

_ Color me your color, baby, Color me your car _

_ Color me your color, darling, I know who you are _

Jonathan knows that Blondie is one of her favorites. Now she's really intrigued. As she starts on her Chemistry homework, the next song begins. Bowie.  _ Of course.  _ Nancy turns the stereo up.

_ Hey babe, your hair's alright _

_ Hey babe, let's go out tonight _

_ You like me, and I like it all _

_ We like dancing and we look divine _

_Rebel Rebel_ played on the radio when they were on the way to Sesser. They joked about feeling like a couple of rebels, out to take down The Man.

Nancy is certain this will become her new favorite tape.

###

She stayed up late listening to the mixtape, surprised by what Jonathan put on it.  _ He must have chosen these songs for a reason _ . There's Uptown Girl; he knows that Billy Joel is another of Nancy's favorites. Then Fleetwood Mac, more Bowie, and, of course, The Clash.  _ Jonathan couldn't make a mixtape without Should I Stay or Should I Go on it, could he? It's his favorite song.  _

The next morning, she arrives at the Byers' house just after breakfast. Jonathan told Nancy two days ago that he wanted to take some family photos on Saturday. He asked her to wear a blue sweater, and she was a bit confused.  _ You saved my brother, Nance. You were there for us. You're part of the family too.  _ She was about to remind him that they all saved Will, but is stopped in her tracks by his words. 

Jonathan gives her a quick kiss and finishes setting up his camera. He gets photos of the three of them first. Then just Joyce and Will. They switch and Will takes a photo of Jonathan and Joyce. Nancy and Joyce laugh when Jonathan and Will make faces in their first photo. "That's going on the wall," Joyce tells them. 

Jonathan sets the camera again, and sits next to Nancy. She's seated between him and Joyce, with Will on the other side. This one is going on the wall. Everyone gets up from the couch, but there's one more photo Jonathan wants. "Mom, can you take this one?" 

He takes Nancy's hand, leads her back to the couch. Joyce sets up the shot as Jonathan puts his arm around Nancy. He's not looking at the camera, but at her. She puts her right hand on Jonathan's knee. Just before Joyce presses the button, Nancy looks at him, too. This one is going in a frame on his nightstand.

###

They're lying on Jonathan's bed, catching up on the week, when Nancy reaches for her bag. She puts the mixtape in his stereo. Nancy hasn't listened to the last song on the tape. He blushes when the music starts.  _ Do You Believe in Love.  _

"Oh my God, Jonathan," she says, "this tape is so sappy. But you planned it this way, didn't you?"

Jonathan's pretty sure he's giving her heart eyes, like he has practically every day for months. "I borrowed some music from a guy I know at the record store, and a couple of my mom's records."

_ Now I'm wonderin' (wonderin') where does true love begin _

_ I'm going under (under) so I'm lettin' you in _

_ My woman (I don't want to be lonely baby please tell me) _

_ I want to love you all over _

"It's perfect." Nancy pulls him closer, kissing him, and they listen together.

###

(The songs on the mixtape are: Blondie,  _ Call Me;  _ David Bowie,  _ Rebel Rebel  _ and  _ Changes _ ; Billy Joel,  _ Uptown Girl;  _ Fleetwood Mac,  _ You Make Loving Fun;  _ The Clash,  _ Should I Stay or Should I Go;  _ The Eagles,  _ Peaceful Easy Feeling;  _ and Huey Lewis and The News,  _ Do You Believe in Love.) _


End file.
